Dark Duo: Descent
by Maltrazz
Summary: Dark days are coming and the Heroes that would normally stop it... are the ones trying to be rescued. Ryoga stumbles across an ancient Gauntlet and the Minions that follow its wearer. Ranma is possessed by a dark spirit known as a Remnant. Evil always finds a way and sometimes the darkness within gets let out to play.


**Dark Duo: Descent**

 **AN:** Here we go! I have been contemplating doing a Dark Ranma ½ story for a while now but wanted to make sure it was something original. I am pretty sure no one has done something quite like this, before, and if I'm wrong then please direct me to it so I can read it.

I would like to preface this with two things.

First, while this is a Ranma ½/Overlord crossover, it also has some elements from the Skulduggery Pleasant series. However, only knowledge of Ranma ½ is necessary, as any elements from the other series will be explained as the story goes on.

Second, I would like to thank EarthScorpion for her wonderful story 'Overlady', as it has been a huge inspiration for me to do this. If you are a fan of Overlord and Zero no Tsukaima (Familiar of Zero) I highly recommend checking it out.

Without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: Evil Always Finds A Way… Eventually

"Where the Hell am I now?"

Ryoga Hibiki was lost. This was nothing new for him. He had spent most of his life lost. In some ways, he was used to it. However, that did nothing to keep him from getting annoyed whenever he realized it. In fact, he was so focused on being lost that he paid even less attention to his surroundings. He ignored the plants and animals he passed. He did not realize he was nearing the top of a mountain range.

He even failed to notice the mass of darkness passing through the sky above him.

However, the shadowy being did not fail to notice him. It was looking for a host. One that was human, physically fit, and still in its prime. To it, Ryoga looked perfect so it wasted no time in swooping down, catching the Lost Boy off guard and attempting to force its way down his throat. As it tried to merge with the new host, however, something unexpected happened.

Its consciousness impacted against a wall of Rage and Depression stronger than any emotions it had encountered in its long existence.

Recoiling from the overwhelming emotions, it retreated from the human, taking to the air once more in search of a more compatible host.

Meanwhile, Ryoga was left reeling from the sudden attack. As the being of darkness flew off to the east, he stumbled away in the opposite direction, trying to figure out what just happened, as well as a place to rest.

Seeing a cave ahead, Ryoga stumbled into it. Letting his pack fall to the ground, the wandering martial artist fell against the wall, pressing a hand to his head. _'W-What the Hell just happened?'_ He thought as his head began to clear. Taking a few minutes to recuperate, Ryoga looked outside to see the sun beginning to set. _'Guess it got later than I thought. I may as well make camp here, although I'd better explore the cave first. I've had enough surprises for one day.'_

Moving towards the back of the cave, Ryoga frowned as he examined the walls. They were stone blocks, not a solid wall. _'This isn't a cave, it's something manmade,'_ he thought. As he approached the furthest point of the 'cave', he saw the outline of a door in the darkness. Attempting to pull it open had the handle come off in his hand, revealing its decrepit condition. Seeing as it was falling apart anyway, Ryoga decided not to let it stand in his way, a single swing of his weighted umbrella reducing it to kindling.

Stepping through, Ryoga's jaw dropped, all thoughts of the earlier encounter wiped from his thoughts by the strange hall before him. Although overgrown and worn down with age, it was obvious how grand the hall had once been, with a ceiling over a dozen meters above him and an ornate pool set in the floor before an imposing stone throne. Yet, none of this was what held his attention.

Ryoga found his gaze drawn to a gauntlet laying on the thrown, a glow coming from the back that grew stronger as he approached. As he neared the throne, Ryoga never noticed a pair of glowing eyes watching him from nearby.

Curiosity mixing with a strange compulsion, Ryoga reached out to touch the gauntlet. The moment his skin made contact, the Lost Boy felt a foreign presence enter his mind for the second time that day. Unlike the previous entity, which left almost as soon as it got there, this power delved deep into what made him Ryoga Hibiki.

His desire for two women, Akane Tendo and Akari Unryu. His explosive temper and unthinking rage that was always boiling just beneath the surface. His all-consuming obsession and desire for revenge against his rival, Ranma Saotome.

All of these things met its approval and the power withdrew from his mind. However, Ryoga could still feel its energy coursing through is body. A glance showed that the Gauntlet was now on his left hand and something told him he would not be able to remove it even if he tried. At the same time, he knew that it was Gauntlet with a capital 'G'.

"Well, well, how unexpected."

Ryoga whirled around to face the source of the raspy voice. Slowly walking towards him was some sort of creature that either was not human or older that Happosai and Cologne. Or both. The figure wore a ratty cloak with a staff tied to the back, a glowing crystal hanging from the tip. It was less than a meter tall, and had glowing yellow eyes and a scraggily beard that implied that it was male.

"After decades of searching for a new Overlord, one simply waltzes in the front door. And one with a great deal of potential, if the state of said door is any indication," the decrepit creature said as he approached Ryoga. "Evil really does work in mysterious ways."

"Uh, who are you?" Ryoga asked, beginning to think that his whole day was just one weird dream.

"I am Gnarl, sire, Minion Master and advisor to the Overlord," the elderly minion introduced himself. "Let me be the first to welcome you to your Tower… or what's left of it, at any rate."

"Overlord? Tower? What are you talking about?" The Lost Boy asked.

"Allow me to explain, sire," Gnarl replied. "'Overlord' is a title bestowed upon the mighty force of Evil deemed worthy to wear the Gauntlet. This is your throne room." The minion gesture to the ruined hall in which they stood. "Alas, one cannot be a bastion of Evil these days without wretched heroes lining up to prove themselves. That last lot were particularly bothersome, killing your predecessor like that! Still, you're here now, sire. Evil will always find a way!"

"Wait, wait, wait! There's been some kind of mistake! I'm not evil!" Ryoga protested. "If anything, Saotome's the one you want! That bastard's been ruining my life since the day we met. Hell, he'd probably enjoy getting a fancy title like 'Overlord'."

' _Oh? It seems we have a wannabe Hero, here,'_ Gnarl thought to himself. _'And yet, the Gauntlet would have killed him if he did not have the potential for Evil. Besides, Fallen Heroes make for some of the best Overlords.'_ Out loud, he said, "That really is such a shame. The power of the Overlord would have been more than enough to destroy any fool who crossed you but I suppose I'll just have to start looking again…"

"Power?" Ryoga repeated, his curiosity peaked. "What kind of power?"

"Strength, Magic, armor and weapons, even your own personal army of Minions willing to throw away their lives at your command," Gnarl answered smoothly. "And if you're worried about having to act 'Evil', you really shouldn't. Evil comes in all sorts of actions. Ever heard the phrase 'The road to Hell is paved with Good intentions'? Load of bollocks really. Humans just don't like to admit when their doing Evil. Besides, the Gauntlet already accepted you, so you're obviously already Evil enough, why not take advantage of the opportunity you've been offered?"

Looking at the Gauntlet, Ryoga clenched his fist, focusing on the energy he could still feel flowing into him. "But… if I'm Evil, doesn't that make Saotome the Good Guy?"

"Pah! Hardly," Gnarl scoffed. "Evil fighting Evil is just as common as Evil fighting Good. Why, if anything, being Evil is even more impressive, since you aren't relying on allies like those Goodly cowards."

"Yeah… Yeah, you're right! How well would Saotome have done against Herb without Mousse and I to deal with his goons? And he never would have learned the Hiryu Shoten Ha without my help!" Starting to get into it, Ryoga turned to the elderly minion with a fanged grin. "Fine, you want me to Overlord? I'll do it, as long as you get me the power to get my revenge."

Grinning as well, Gnarl bowed happily. "Whatever you wish, sire! The Minions are yours to command! But first, allow me to show you around your Tower… such as it is. The last group of Heroes looted and destroyed much of it. It is merely a setback for the Forces of Darkness, however. Your Tower shall be rebuilt and the so-called heroes shall be punished as you re-establish a Dark Domain! …Er, and get your revenge, of course." Turning to the pool before the throne, he went on. "This is the Tower Portal, sire. Sadly, it's missing it's power source, the Tower Heart. However, there's still a tiny bit of energy left. It's just enough to transport you to the last known location of the Heart. Once we have recovered it, then we can turn towards more nefarious deeds and begin repairs to the Tower. When you're ready, sire, step through the portal. I shall meet you on the other side."

Ryoga hesitated as Gnarl gestured to the pool. "Er, that water's not cold, is it?"

"Why?" Gnarl asked. Frowning as a thought struck him, he went on, "You didn't fall into one of the cursed springs down in Jusenkyo Valley, did you?"

"I didn't fall in, I was pushed," Ryoga said with a scowl. Realizing what the minion had just said, he asked, "What do you mean by 'down in'?"

"Oh, this tower sits on one of the mountains overlooking the valley," Gnarl replied. "Were you not aware of that, sire?"

"Wait, we're in CHINA!?" Ryoga cried in surprise. "I could have sworn I was in Moscow this morning…"

' _Evil Hells, surely he can't be_ _ **that**_ _lost,'_ Gnarl thought before replying aloud. "No matter, sire. The portal isn't actually water but rather an alchemical substance designed to channel the power of the Tower Heart. Besides, the Blue Minions are masters of Water Magic and should be able to suppress your curse, once we recover their hive. And once we get the Tower Heart back in its rightful place, the Tower Portal network will allow you to travel without getting lost."

Ryoga just stared at him for a moment before a silly grin spread across his face. "So you're saying, not only will I get the power to take my revenge on Saotome, but I'll also get a cure for my curse **and** never get lost again?"

"Essentially, sire," Gnarl replied.

"Maybe being Evil will be worth it after all," Ryoga said. Turning to the portal, his eyes blazed with determination and the power of the Overlord. "Let's get to work."

* * *

It was patient. It needed a host but it could wait. It was a Remnant, after all, and had already waited long enough for its freedom. It was not about to waste it on anything less than the perfect host.

It needed a human. It wanted to enjoy its freedom, not be hunted in the body of some monster.

They needed to be physically fit. It did not want to waste any of its freedom getting them into shape.

They needed to still be in their prime, maybe a little on the younger side. No point in getting a host that would keel over from old age in a year or ten.

They also needed to **not** be an emotional time bomb that it could not inhabit comfortably.

After its failure in China, the Remnant had continued east, determined to get as far away from its former prison in Europe as possible. Crossing another stretch of water, it arrived in the skies above Japan and began its search once more.

Too old. Too weak. Too ugly, same problem as targeting a monster. Too young. He is okay but 'okay' would not do. She might work but beside her…

Yes, she would do. She would do nicely, unless…

Remembering its last attempt, the Remnant braced itself as it swooped down on its new target. The two teenage girls were shocked by its sudden appearance but neither could react before the Remnant was on its target, the mass of darkness forcing its way down her throat.

Once more, the Remnant felt its hosts emotions wash over it. Beyond the surge of panic from the attack was the host's normal emotion state.

Cool, calm, collected. Confidence bordering on arrogance. Now, these were emotions the Remnant could work with. As it fused with the hosts mind, their memories, too, became one.

Yes, this Ranma Saotome would do nicely.

* * *

 **AN:** And there we go! This will easily be my darkest Ranma story yet, with lots of violence, as befitting Overlord, so be sure to let me know if you want to see more of this.

How will Ryoga take to his new position as Overlord? What will happen with Ranma now that there is a Remnant in them? Find out in future chapters of Dark Duo: Descent!


End file.
